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Hot Topic (7/17): Prayer

Do you think prayer should be allowed in public settings such as public school graduations or the opening of legislative sessions? How would you react if you found out that a public school teacher or official prayed aloud in school or if a community sports coach led his/her team in prayer?

Do you think prayer should be allowed in public settings such as public school graduations or the opening of legislative sessions?

I believe that prayer should be an option, and I believe if the vast majority of people participating would like the prayer out loud, then it should be allowed. If someone is offended, they have the right to leave. If a few people wish to pray outloud, but no one else wants to, then those few should be allowed to time to have their prayer either in silence, or by allowing them to leave, and then move on.

How would you react if you found out that a public school teacher or official prayed aloud in school or if a community sports coach led his/her team in prayer?

1) It depends on the religion, and 2) it depends on whether she allowed the children to opt out.

Should public prayer be protected as "free speech"?

It already is. Just that people don't think it should be.

Do you pray? Why or why not?

Absolutely. It is my lifeline to God. Why would I want to cut off commune time with God? That doesn't make sense to me.

Thank You! I agree totally. No one can make anyone pray. If you are in a group setting and a prayer is going on by a religious org that you are not a part of, just chill for a min. You don't have to pray....Look how many years there was prayer in schools, and everywhere else, and now, all of a sudden its a big deal?....I was raised in a christian church and can't tell you how many times I sat through prayer times without praying! And even now, with my DD, I have to pay attention to her during times of prayer. It's not hard. And its not like by listening to a prayer you are committing blasphemy against your religion!

I think there were fewer problems in school when there was prayer allowed.

I pray. I teach my kids that they should pray. Because we believe in God and what the Bible says and we believe that is how you speak to Christ.

How would I react if I found out that a teacher prayed? Wouldn't bother me at all.

When I was in high school (12 years ago) we had prayer before every single home game... it was let over the intercom by a fellow student, the son of a preacher. Not a single person had a problem with it (because it happened until we graduated (I don't know about now, I moved away)...)... We also prayed around the flagpole...on school grounds... and no one batted an eye. Sometimes teachers were even with us.

If the need to pray is that great then form a prayer group else where before the event.

Schools should NOT force others to have to sit/stand there while others Pray..form a prayer group in the cafeteria/Auditorium or some where other than a classroom

Same goes for school events/games, form a prayer group else where.

***Personally though..I feel a minuite of silence during any of the events stated above would be the best solution for all instead of forming a prayer group. Then everyone can worship in silence & not have to be subjected to anyone elses religious beliefs aloud !

I agree with you 100%! And that minute of silence is also enough time for somebody to throw down a rug and bow to Mecca.

Like another post said, you should be able to excercise your religious rights freely as long as you don't shove it in anyones face. In other words, keep it to yourself - it's all good.

I don't generally pray in the traditional sense, since I am religiously unaffiliated. I do however pray to the gods of finance and prosperity every now and again - I did so last night and I got a pink blackberry, yay - just like that. LOL The power of prayer is truly amazing.

Our Bible study group was in a restaurant for coffee and dessert. One of the men was asked to say grace. When he began, this man and woman at another table started yelling at him and going off about separation of church and state and how he had no right to be praying in public. We all just looked at her and the man continued to finish his prayer. Why people think they have any right to dictate whether Christians are allowed to pray out loud, in public, or not is beyond me. I don't agree with corporate led prayer in public schools because many of the teachers are not professing Christians and I wouldn't want my child being encouraged to pray to foreign gods.

i coach a high school track team. we do "hand over hand" in a circle and one of the kids leads the prayer. those that want to can, those that don't that's ok too. i'm sure if we lived in a bigger city there would be an issue made of it.

it's something the kids initiate but it comes from tradition as well, as we did the same thing when i was in high school (graduated 15yrs ago). i'm glad to see it.

i think we take for granted that Christians can pray in silent, if someone started praying in Arabic out loud with a prayer mat i think some folks would go ape sh***t.

Our Bible study group was in a restaurant for coffee and dessert. One of the men was asked to say grace. When he began, this man and woman at another table started yelling at him and going off about separation of church and state and how he had no right to be praying in public. We all just looked at her and the man continued to finish his prayer. Why people think they have any right to dictate whether Christians are allowed to pray out loud, in public, or not is beyond me. I don't agree with corporate led prayer in public schools because many of the teachers are not professing Christians and I wouldn't want my child being encouraged to pray to foreign gods.

did you let that dumb butt know that you weren't holding a meeting that had anything to do with the government, and the restaurants aren't state instutions ......yet.

Our Bible study group was in a restaurant for coffee and dessert. One of the men was asked to say grace. When he began, this man and woman at another table started yelling at him and going off about separation of church and state and how he had no right to be praying in public. We all just looked at her and the man continued to finish his prayer. Why people think they have any right to dictate whether Christians are allowed to pray out loud, in public, or not is beyond me. I don't agree with corporate led prayer in public schools because many of the teachers are not professing Christians and I wouldn't want my child being encouraged to pray to foreign gods.

did you let that dumb butt know that you weren't holding a meeting that had anything to do with the government, and the restaurants aren't state instutions ......yet.

No, we figured his ignorance spoke for itself and we don't feel the need to ever answer people like that. Some people just can't help themselves I guess. The same thing happened when we were at a park handing out Gospel tracts. We weren't forcing them on anyone. Most people, if they didn't want one, just said no thanks. But there's always got to be one in every crowd, this guy comes up and starts yelling, we just ignored him and went on our way. I find that's the best thing to do, just ignore hateful people. If you say anything to them you just end up looking as foolish as they do.

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